THE COMIC POEMS OF WILLIAM TENNANT

Edited by Maurice Lindsay
& Alexander Scott

Anster Fair remained one of the most popular comic poems by a Scot throughout
the nineteenth century. It has gone through several editions since it first appeared
in 1812, but has long been out of print. Couched in the Italian ottava rima
stanza, it is thought that Byron may have seen a contemporary review of it, adopting
the stanza-form, including the far-fetched rhyme-scheme, for, among other poems,
Beppo and Don Juan.

The author of Anster Fair was a Fife man, William Tennant (1784-1848), who
trained for the ministry but in later life occupied the Chair of Oriental Languages
in St Mary's College, St Andrews.

In addition to Anster Fair, this volume includes Papistry Storm'd, a
humourous account of the Knoxian mob-attack on the Cathedral of St Andrews, together
with some examples of Tennant's shorter pieces in Scots.

The Comic Poems of William Tennant brings together an enjoyable group of poems,
the best of his voluminous output.

Typeset by Speedspools, Edinburgh. Printed by Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen